Victoria Thomas Bowen, the woman who threw a McDonald’s milkshake on former Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in Clacton-on-Sea during the general election campaign, has pleaded guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage in court. Bowen had previously denied the charges, and her sentencing will be held at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in December. Mr Farage, who went on to win the seat in the July 4 vote, had been campaigning at the Moon & Starfish pub on the seafront when the attack occurred. Bowen also admitted to causing £17.50 worth of damage to a jacket belonging to Mr Farage’s security officer.
In a witness statement read out in court, Mr Farage said, “this incident caused me concern as I have only been going about my job” and that he tried to “have as much public engagement as possible”. The deputy senior district judge described the act as “an unprovoked, targeted attack, now on an elected Member of Parliament.” He adjourned the hearing until December 16, while a pre-sentence report is being compiled to consider all sentencing options.
In her police interview, Bowen said she saw a post online about the politician’s attendance at the Wetherspoon outlet that day. She told officers she “does not agree with his political views” and decided to act because “she had the opportunity” when she saw him leaving the pub. However, she told police that she did not intend the cup to hit Farage.
“Milkshaking” has been recognised as a word by the Collins Dictionary in 2019 and has become a modern form of political protest that was particularly popular during the general election campaigns of 2019. Farage has previously been subjected to such attacks, with a banana and salted caramel milkshake thrown at him during a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in 2019. In August, Josh Greally of Clowne, Derbyshire, was given a suspended sentence for throwing a coffee cup and another item at Farage during his campaign in Barnsley
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